Renaud Capuçon carried the Olympic flame

The violinist (and now conductor) is one of the 11,000 torchbearers who will take turns carrying the flame along the route that will end on 26 July.

After Joyce DiDonato participated in the torch-lighting ceremony in Greece, another classical musician is now associated with the Olympic Games to be held in Paris this summer. Violinist and now conductor Renaud Capuçon carried the Olympic flame as it passed through the Deux-Sèvres region on 2 June. "What a joy and honour to have been chosen to carry the Olympic flame yesterday in Niort," said the musician on Facebook. "Thank you all for this incredible and timeless moment. Happy to have been part of this wonderful celebration of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games."

Renaud Capuçon has lost an appeal against a conviction for failing to declare earnings from a dozen concerts.

The news site L’informé reports that the musician omitted to declare 5 concerts in 2013 and 6 in 2014 – and that he underdeclared his fees for a further 27 concerts – 5 in 2013, 22 in 2014. A court found that he owes 110,735 euros (94,285 pounds) in unpaid taxes. Capuçon’s appeal to the Council of State was rejected on March 22, 2024.